So my gf just called and said her power steering light came on and, obviously, the steering suddenly became quite hard to handle. She says there aren't any other inidcators on, and that there is plenty of fluid in the resvoir. FYI.. it's a Mazda3 maybe 2 or 3 yrs old, and has been in accidents but I don't know previous damage(before I knew her).

My guess was the pump died. Any other possibilities?
Thanks in advance

[Edited on November 14, 2008 at 1:39 PM. Reason : added info]

11/14/2008 1:35:49 PM

There is no power steering light that I have ever seen. Guess it could be a new option on the Mazda? LOL

The belt probably came off that runs the power steering pump. It may also run the alternator, causing the battery light to come on. Wether it also runs the water pump and could cause the engine to overheat I dont know off the top of my head.


Well I'll be. Turns out that shitbox has electric power steering pump.

[Edited on November 14, 2008 at 1:54 PM. Reason : wow]

11/14/2008 1:48:58 PM

hmm k. so I'm only literate as to your average car maintenance, and not knowledgable of power steering. Does all ^that mean I'm probably on the right track? Also would be good to know if it's safe to drive to a garage or something later.

Also if you have a place to get some info on the power steering system for the car that would be helpful. I am stuck at work and basic searching is not revealing

[Edited on November 14, 2008 at 1:59 PM. Reason : s]

11/14/2008 1:58:15 PM

It probably (see below) needs a new pump, looks like from Advance they are $600. The dealer should be well versed in diagnosing the electric PS systems but Southern States in Raleigh tried to rip off ncsukat so IF it isnt under warranty any longer go there at your own risk.


Wether or not it is safe is depending on what has failed. Wether the pump has failed, a pressure switch has failed, a line has failed, or the rack and pinion has failed is impossible to say without actually diagnosing the car and in this case anyone you ask is likely to require that they lay eyes on the thing before offering a diagnosis. By all means if it is under warranty dont sweat it, go to the dealer and get it fixed. If it isnt under warranty, youll need to go to a shop with tech(s) intelligent enough to learn about a newfangled electric power steering system and that have the proper equipment to scan the related computer module.

Its been 8 years since my last Steering and Suspension class, electric power steering wasnt really used back then on much of anything but if I had a scantool that could read all the Mazda modules I would be happy to help. Aside from that, I dont have anyone to point you towards, sorry.

[Edited on November 14, 2008 at 2:16 PM. Reason : MORE INFO]

11/14/2008 2:08:43 PM

Yeah I have no idea about warranty, but she's on the coast at a wedding this weekend anyway. So odds are if she gets it worked on before coming back it would be a local garage. Thanks though, at least I dont have to sweat some massive failure of the engine somewhere.

I did manage to find a person online who had a similar problem due to the alternator not sending enough power back to the battery and the battery not being strong enough to power the pump, but in any case at least its not too serious.

11/14/2008 2:14:22 PM

added more info above.

11/14/2008 2:16:32 PM

Thats cool, thanks for the quick help. My main concern was drivablility. If it's just going to be a pain in the ass to turn then at least she can get it to a shop or home.

Would an ODB2 be able to pick up those codes if it was updated properly? I know a friend who has one of those in the event she brings it home first.

11/14/2008 2:20:53 PM

She should be aware that with the power assist not working, and the the malfunction light on, anything is possible. My suggestion is that she shouldnt travel far before at least having someone look at it to determine how safe it may be. I dont think I am reacing too far at all to say the probability of the rack and pinion locking up during driving are higher now than when it was working properly and no malfunction was evident. That being said, more than likely, the only downfall as it is now is the increased effort required to steer the vehicle. I cant guess any further on this without knowing more about this system.

11/14/2008 3:07:12 PM

Yeah I kinda figured that I wouldn't exactly solve the problem at the moment. One more question as I am forthcoming in not knowning much beyond the basics. What happens when the rack and pinion lock up? I am just going to flat out guess that the car stalls or worse.

Stupid question I just looked it up

[Edited on November 14, 2008 at 3:14 PM. Reason : covering my ignorance]

11/14/2008 3:11:23 PM

Ok well good news is the light went back off and is working again. So she'll be keping it light until she gets it back here. It may vary well have been the battery issue I found online, since she admitted possibly leaving te interior lights on for an extended time..... who knows.

In any case, I def learned a lot for next time. Thanks for quick help from optimus. I will def be getting it looked over before making a decision on what to do.

11/14/2008 3:26:19 PM

No problem, and good luck.

11/14/2008 3:34:05 PM

obligatory "i've got something hard she can handle".

11/14/2008 4:31:09 PM